Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutState of the Stormwater Utility_121 Commission Memorandum REPORT TO: Honorable Mayor and City Commission FROM: Craig Woolard, Public Works Director Brian Heaston, Project Engineer Jon Henderson, GIS Manager Kyle Mehrens, GIS Technician SUBJECT: State of the Stormwater Utility MEETING DATE: March 3, 2014 AGENDA ITEM TYPE: Special Presentation KEY ISSUES AND RECOMMENDATIONS: To address the requirements of the City of Bozeman’s Montana Pollution Discharge Elimination System (MPDES) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) discharge permit, the City Commission in June 2012 formed a stormwater utility and enterprise fund. This memorandum updates the Commission on the current state of the stormwater utility and covers the following topics: • Stormwater system asset inventory • Stormwater system condition assessment • MS4 permit requirements • Stormwater management program • Stormwater system water quality impacts • Key policy issue introduction In the near future, staff will return to the Commission with formal policy discussions to determine the desired level of service and utility rate assessment method. BACKGROUND: Ordinance 1831, adopted by the Commission on June 25, 2012 created a stormwater utility to provide funding for current and future MS4 permit activities, including funding costs associated with inventory and analysis of the city’s stormwater system and costs for the planning, construction, and maintenance of the stormwater system. The utility was created largely in response to a MS4 permit compliance audit completed by the Department of Environmental Quality in December 2011. The audit identified one (1) permit violation, sixteen (16) program deficiencies, and twenty three (23) recommendations for improvement. Formation of the stormwater utility was the first step to alleviating MS4 permit compliance issues. 97 2 Stormwater utility funds were immediately allocated to address the MS4 permit violation identified in the 2011 audit. The violation was a result of an inadequate Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE) program which failed to identify and map all discharge points to receiving waters, in addition to comprehensively mapping all other stormwater infrastructure. Stormwater System Asset Inventory To eliminate the permit violation, a substantial effort to inventory all stormwater system assets began in 2012, and is presently nearing completion. An online interactive stormwater system map (http://gis.bozeman.net/flexviewers/stormwater/) is publicly available and provides a visual overview of the network of stormwater assets and their relationship to urban waterways that receive stormwater discharges. A hardcopy of the map is provided as an attachment to this memo as Exhibit A. Bozeman’s stormwater asset inventory consists of: • 3,059 Curb Inlets • 366 Detention Basins • 93.4 Miles of Underground Pipe • 50 Culvert Screens • 21.6 Miles of Receiving Waters • 1,276 Storm Manholes • 551 Outfalls • 86 Sidewalk Chases • 300 Culverts Storm Water System Condition Assessments Condition data has been gathered through on-site inspections of stormwater detention basins and closed captioned television (CCTV) underground pipe inspection. A bulleted summary of the detention basin condition findings is provided below. The condition assessment form used to record deficiency attributes is attached as Exhibit B. Deficiencies were noted as either present, or absent; the severity of deficiency was not rated. A visual map display illustrating detention basin locations and relative deficiency values is attached with this memorandum as Exhibit C. • 11 Detention Basins with 7-8 deficiencies. • 73 Detention Basins with 5-6 deficiencies. • 112 Detention Basins with 3-4 deficiencies. • 67 Detention Basins with 0-2 deficiencies. • 103 Detention Basins require condition assessment As of this date, 22 miles of the city’s 93.4 miles of mapped underground stormwater piping, or 24%, has been inspected using CCTV. Stormwater pipe inspection efforts have occurred throughout the City. Deficiencies are identified and logged during the CCTV inspection and are given an industry standard pipe rating. CCTV footage is recorded and kept on file for future reference. Pipes with ‘Grade 5’ ratings are generally considered too degraded for spot repair and call for full pipe replacement or rehabilitation. The 22 miles of inspected pipe were broken into 400 individual inspection segments, 35 segments, or 9%, have grade 5 ratings. A visual map display illustrating the completed pipe condition assessment is provided as Exhibit D MS4 Permit Requirements The City is required to develop, implement, and maintain a stormwater management program under its federally mandated Municipal Separated Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit. The 98 current MS4 permit is provided as Exhibit E and must be renewed on a 5-year cycle. To remain in compliance and avoid permit violations or deficiencies, strict adherence to the six (6) specific minimum control measures listed below must be completed and reported annually to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). • Public Education and Outreach on Stormwater Impacts • Public Involvement/Participation • Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination • Construction Site Stormwater Runoff Control • Post-Construction Stormwater Management in New Development and Redevelopment • Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations Increasing pressures from DEQ through the 2011 compliance audit have indicated the need to improve the City’s stormwater management program. Audit results are provided as Exhibit F. The level of service of the existing utility is not currently sufficient to comprehensively address each of the six minimum control measures to the specifications required of the MS4 permit. Level of service should be enhanced and address funding, policies, staffing, equipment, and workflows to effectively reduce occurrence of future permit violations or deficiencies. Without elevating the level of service the probability of future monetary penalties, additional permit violations, continued fresh water pollution during runoff events, and persistent infrastructure-degradation remains high. Current Stormwater Management Program: With limited enforcement, maintenance, and capital programs, the city’s stormwater management program is functioning at an impaired level. Mandatory program components such as public outreach methods, pollution prevention programs, and construction management workflows require extensive development. Several program deficiencies were identified and documented internally throughout the inventory and condition assessment process and are further described below. An online stormwater system story map (http://tinyurl.com/jwauwoy) is publicly available and provides photos which are keyed to a map pane that highlights stormwater management program issues, as well as a few positive stormwater program elements. A stormwater management webpage has been recently developed and the Commission and public are encouraged to visit the page (https://www.bozeman.net/Departments-(1)/Public-Works/Stormwater/Home). Operations and Maintenance (O&M) – Current stormwater system O&M is funded through the street maintenance district fund and performed by the Streets Department. No dedicated funding specifically for stormwater system O&M currently exists. Based on the condition assessment conducted to date, existing personnel and capital resources have not adequately kept pace with the maintenance requirements of the stormwater system creating a significant backlog of deferred maintenance items such as pipe repairs/replacements, catch basin, manhole and pipeline cleaning, and detention basin maintenance. Construction Site Management – Continued growth and limited education and enforcement capabilities on active construction sites has resulted in the degradation of many relatively new 99 stormwater system assets. The most common construction site impacts to the stormwater system are clogged storm drain pipes and detention basin outlets which create unnecessary deferred maintenance items for the stormwater utility had best management practices been effectively deployed by site construction contractors. Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE) – Illicit discharge events have the potential to severely threaten public safety and water quality by delivering pollutants to the stormwater system and urban receiving waters. Detection of illicit discharges has historically occurred passively on a complaint basis, which does not sufficiently address MS4 permit requirements. As a result of the storm system inventory and condition assessment activities, the city was successful in identifying, responding to, and resolving 11 illicit discharge issues in 2013 as shown on Exhibit G. Community Outreach - A successful stormwater outreach campaign has been initiated through the development of informative materials and collaborative efforts with local non-profits (Greater Gallatin Watershed Council, Big Sky Youth Empowerment, Gallatin Local Water Quality District, and Montana State Extension Water Quality). The public has been educated with newspaper articles, pamphlets, trainings, participation in community events and interviews. Dedicated staff resources are necessary to further develop and manage this program to improve the consistency and overall effectiveness of outreach efforts in order to ensure MS4 permit compliance. Capital Planning – Annual pipe rehabilitation capital budgets, similar to the water and wastewater utilities, are necessary to fund pipe replacements at a level that outpaces the present rate of asset degradation. In addition, multiple equipment CIP items will be necessary to elevate the level of service to tackle continued O&M and deferred maintenance items. Stormwater System Water Quality Impacts The overall success of the stormwater utility and its stormwater management program is measured by increasing water quality in the city’s urban waterways. The MS4 permit is mandated by federal law through implementation of the Clean Water Act and the permit requires bi-annual water quality testing to occur at approved sampling locations for a particular array of pollutants of concern. Past testing data, provided as Exhibit H, indicate that the current level of service afforded the stormwater utility (or stormwater management program prior to 2011 utility formation) has been insufficient to reduce the frequency of exceeding MS4 permit limits for many of the pollutants of concern. Failures to conform to water quality testing limits, or improve the level of conformance with testing limits, suggests that the level of service of the stormwater utility should be enhanced, including significant upgrades to the city’s overall stormwater management program. Introduction of Key Policy Issues The stormwater asset inventory and condition assessment efforts completed post utility formation provide a factual decision making platform that can be used to inform future policy decisions to address identified deficiencies of the current stormwater utility and management 100 program. Highlighted as follows are some interesting general findings and conclusions resulting from of the inventory and assessment effort. • Two separate stormwater regimes exist in the city with disparate infrastructure and maintenance needs: the ‘old’ system, and the ‘new’ system. The ‘old’ system is generally described in geographic terms by the historic conservation overlay boundary and represents a stormwater regime without existing treatment capabilities (ie detention basins). The ‘old’ system infrastructure generally requires capital projects for pipe replacement and stormwater treatment retrofits. The ‘new’ system generally represents the remainder of the city and does have existing treatment infrastructure (ie detention basins) in place. However, the condition of the treatment infrastructure in the ‘new’ system is largely degraded due to construction site impacts and lack of a systematic maintenance program. Generally, the ‘new’ system infrastructure requires an infusion of capital to tackle deferred maintenance items such as cleaning of storm pipes and detention ponds. Once complete, a normal O&M schedule can be returned to. • The existing level of service of the stormwater utility, or stormwater management program prior to 2011 utility formation, has led to multiple MS4 permit recommendations for improvement, deficiencies, and one permit violation. • The existing level of service of the stormwater utility has not effectively reduced the frequency of exceeding the MS4 permitted water quality standards. Staff will ask the Commission in its future policy decisions to address the identified deficiencies of the stormwater utility by enhancing the level of service of the utility. Funding a level of service for the stormwater utility that is suitable to eliminate future MS4 violations, improve water quality, and remain generally compliant with permit criteria is recommended. During future policy discussions, staff will prepare several level of service options with concomitant annual revenue requirements for Commission consideration. As the level of service of the utility increases, it is generally observed that rates must increase as well in order to fund the additional activities that create the higher level of service. Staff will further recommend that the Commission establish a new rate assessment methodology that assesses stormwater utility rates commensurate to stormwater system impacts. The current assessment method is rudimentary, basing the stormwater utility rate on the size of the water meter serving a property and has no foundation in system impact. At a future policy discussion, staff can present several different rate assessment methods for Commission consideration and provide examples of rate changes to specific properties relative to the different methodologies. ALTERNATIVES: As Suggested by the Commission. FISCAL EFFECTS: Enhancing the level of service of the utility will create additional revenue needs to fund activities creating the enhanced level of service. Establishing policy concerning level of service, and rate assessment methodology is beyond the scope of this special presentation. Staff will return to the Commission in the near future with a formal policy discussion to address these important policy considerations. 101 Attachments: Exhibit A: Overall Stormwater System Map (1 pg) Exhibit B: Detention Basin Condition Assessment Form (1 pg) Exhibit C: Detention Basin Condition Analysis Map (1 pg) Exhibit D: Gravity Main Structure Analysis Map (1 pg) Exhibit E: MS4 Permit (41 pgs) Exhibit F: MS4 Audit Report (28 pgs) Exhibit G: Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Map (1 pg) Exhibit H: MS4 Water Quality Monitoring Results (1 pg) Report compiled on: 02/24/14 102 ! ! !!!! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! !! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! !!!!!! ! ! ! !!! !!! ! !!!! ! ! ! ! !!!! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!!! !!! !! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!! ! !! ! ! !! !!!!!!!!! !!!! !!! ! !!!!! ! ! !! ! !! ! ! ! ! !!! ! ! ! ! !!!!!!!! ! !!! !! ! !!!! ! !! ! !! ! !!!!! !! !! !! !! ! !! !! !!!! !!! !!!!! ! ! !!! ! !!!! ! !! ! ! ! !!! ! ! ! ! !!! !!!!! !!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !! ! ! !!!!!!!!!! ! !!! !!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !!!!! !! ! !!!!!!!!! ! ! !! !! ! ! !! ! !!! ! !! ! !!!!!!!! !!!! !! !!!!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! !!!!!!! ! ! ! ! !!!!!! ! ! ! !!!!!! !!! !! ! ! !! ! !!! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! !! !! ! !!!!!!! ! !!!!!!! !!!!!!! !!! !!! !! !! ! ! !! !! ! ! ! !! ! !!! ! !! ! !!! ! !!! !! !!!!! !!!! !!!!!! ! ! !!!!!!! !! !!!!! !!!! ! !! ! !!!! ! !! !!! !!!! !! !!!!!!!! ! ! ! ! !!! ! ! ! !!!!!!! !!!! !!! !! !!!!!!!!!! !!! ! !!! !! !!!!!! ! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!! !!!! !!! !! !!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!! !! !!!!!!!!!!! !!! !!! !!! !! !!! !!!!!!!!! !! ! !! !!!!!! ! !!!!!!! ! ! !!! !!!! ! !!! ! !!! !!!!!! ! !! ! !! !!! ! !!!! !!! ! !!!!!! ! ! !! !! !!!!! !! ! !!!!!! ! ! ! !!!! ! ! !! ! ! ! !! ! !!! ! !! ! !! ! ! ! !! ! !! ! ! !! ! !!! ! !! ! !!!!!! ! !!!!!!!!!! !! !! !!! !!!!!!!!!!!! ! !! !! !! !! ! !! !!! !!! ! ! ! !!! !! ! !! ! ! ! !! !!! !!! ! !!!! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!! ! !! !!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! !! ! ! !!!! !! !!!! !!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!! ! !! !! ! ! ! !! !!! ! ! !!! ! !! ! !!!!!! ! !!!!!! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! !!!!!!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!! ! ! ! ! !! ! !!!!! ! !!!! ! !!!!! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!! ! !! ! ! !! !!!! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!! ! ! ! !! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! !! ! !! ! ! ! !! !! !! ! ! ! ! ! §¨¦90 OAK 19THMAIN 7THDURSTON 11THSTUCKY 3RDDAVISFRO N T A G E HUFFINE ROUSEKAGY COLLEGE BABCOCK BAXTER HIGHLANDWILLSONFERGUSONB RIDGER PEACH19TH Legend !Manholes Lateral Lines Gavity Mains Bozeman Waterways Detention Ponds 0 0.75 1.50.375 Miles ¯ This Map was created by the City of Bozeman GIS Department on 3/14/2013. City of Bozeman Stormwater System Mapped Infrastructure as of 2/19/2014- 3,059 Inlets - 1,276 Manholes- 366 Detention Basins - 551 Outfalls- 93.43 Miles of Pipe Line - 86 Chases- 50 Screens - 300 Culverts- 21.6 Miles of Waterways - 14 Wells ± This map was created on 2/19/2014 by the City of Bozeman GISDepartment and is intended for planning purposes only. 0 10.5 Miles Exhibit A: 103 Exhibit B: 104 Figure 1 - Results from the 2013 city-wide detention pond and gravity main condition analysis. Figure 4 – Cracked Underground Pipe Figure 3 - Sediment Filled Gravity Main Figure 2 –Clogged Detention Pond Outlet Structure Exhibit C:105 Figure 10 - Punctured Stormwater Pipe Figure 11 - Shifted Pipe Segment Figure 12 – Cracked Pipe Section Figure 9 - Results of the 2013 underground pipe assessment. Exhibit D:106 Exhibit E: 107 Exhibit E: 108 Exhibit E: 109 Exhibit E: 110 Exhibit E: 111 Exhibit E: 112 Exhibit E: 113 Exhibit E: 114 Exhibit E: 115 Exhibit E: 116 Exhibit E: 117 Exhibit E: 118 Exhibit E: 119 Exhibit E: 120 Exhibit E: 121 Exhibit E: 122 Exhibit E: 123 Exhibit E: 124 Exhibit E: 125 Exhibit E: 126 Exhibit E: 127 Exhibit E: 128 Exhibit E: 129 Exhibit E: 130 Exhibit E: 131 Exhibit E: 132 Exhibit E: 133 Exhibit E: 134 Exhibit E: 135 Exhibit E: 136 Exhibit E: 137 Exhibit E: 138 Exhibit E: 139 Exhibit E: 140 Exhibit E: 141 Exhibit E: 142 Exhibit E: 143 Exhibit E: 144 Exhibit E: 145 Exhibit E: 146 Exhibit E: 147 Exhibit F: 148 Exhibit F: 149 Exhibit F: 150 Exhibit F: 151 Exhibit F: 152 Exhibit F: 153 Exhibit F: 154 Exhibit F: 155 Exhibit F: 156 Exhibit F: 157 Exhibit F: 158 Exhibit F: 159 Exhibit F: 160 Exhibit F: 161 Exhibit F: 162 Exhibit F: 163 Exhibit F: 164 Exhibit F: 165 Exhibit F: 166 Exhibit F: 167 Exhibit F: 168 Exhibit F: 169 Exhibit F: 170 Exhibit F: 171 Exhibit F: 172 Exhibit F: 173 Exhibit F: 174 Exhibit F: 175 Figure 5 - Map displaying all pollution sources responded to in 2013. Figure 7 - Paint Spill Figure 6 – Polluted Stormwater Entering Bozeman Creek Figure 8 – Pollution in Pipe from Cross- Connection Exhibit G:176 Compiled MS4 Stormwater Sampling Data City of Bozeman Permit Identification Number: MTR040002 Reporting Period: January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013 *Red numbers represent concentrations over permitted levels. * ND = No Detection Exhibit H: 177